Now that we are one week into the school year, I am starting to get myself organized and actually have time to tackle my long list of things I would like to do as a teacher and instructional technology coordinator. With the constant updates and improvements to many of the IT tools that I find valuable for the classroom, it can be hard to keep up; therefore, one of my goals is to get better about staying in the loop and sharing what I can with different departments at my school.
Yesterday, as I sifted through all of the tweets I favorited this summer so that I could come back to them as needed, I was extremely impressed with the resources shared by my PLN. As an educator, it is so refreshing to know that there are people out in the world who are willing to share all of their wonderful ideas with others thirsty for knowledge. Not only do they share this wonderful information, but many of them also include images and make instructional videos in order to make the learning experience more enjoyable and meaningful. In our digital world, the overabundance of information we can find online is overwhelming; however, if you know what you are looking for, it can be a wonderful resource in your professional and personal life.
My classroom continuously evolves due to the knowledge I gain from others. I feel grateful for my colleagues and PLN who supply me with endless tips, tricks, and suggestions to make my classroom environment more student-centered. Ultimately, it is not about the tools that I am using, it is about WHY I am using them in order to enhance my instruction and the students' learning experience.
Isn't it wonderful to know that we can rely on each other in order to share the goods that can and will transform the classroom environment? Step one...find the goods!
School has officially started, and my colleagues are all eager to get through the first two days of meetings in order prepare for our first day with students. While everyone, including myself, is disappointed and sad that summer is over, there is that same buzz of excitement that I always appreciate at the beginning of the school year.
As new teachers enter our district, they have to complete a few days of new teacher camp. As an instructional technology coordinator, I have the opportunity to present to new teachers about the technology we offer in the district. Despite the overwhelming amount of info we have to present, it was a wonderful afternoon of learning. I was so impressed with the new teachers' enthusiasm and passion for their new positions in the district. The excitement in their eyes reminded me of the excitement I had as a new teacher. What a wonderful feeling! My goal this year is to hold onto this excitement and use it in a positive way in my classroom.
I have adopted a new motto this year about all of the other work, besides teaching, that takes up a majority of the day and causes stress in the workplace:
"It will be fine!"
The most important part of my day is the time I spend with my students, and it is my job to create a safe, creative, collaborative, and insightful environment for them to gain success as learners. Everything else will get done when it gets done. It will all be fine.
